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Leo Walsh is used to a courtside view of the basketball action at Fordham University's famed Rose Hill Gym. Only this year his vantage point changed.

Working as a member of the athletic department's events staff, Walsh used to sit under one of the baskets with a mop. If there was moisture on the court or a lane that needed to be cleaned, he did the job.

Since January, however, the junior and Scranton Prep graduate has been able to sit on the Rams bench after he earned a roster spot on the men's basketball team as a walk-on.

He appeared in the closing minutes of four games and even found the stat sheet Feb. 9 at La Salle when he put back his own missed shot for his first collegiate points and rebound.

"I got the ball on the left block and I wasn't sure if I should shoot it because we were down by like 30 points," Walsh said. "But I made a move to the basket and missed off the back rim, but got the rebound and put it back in. It was a cool feeling â¦ one of my dreams coming true."

Walsh's story is a bit of a fairytale.

By his admission, Walsh wasn't a great player at Scranton Prep. Still, he was more than able to hold his own in pickup games at Fordham to the point where others encouraged him to try out for the team, he said.

As a sophomore, Walsh didn't make it, simply because the coaching staff didn't take any walk-ons. But Walsh said he received a call from Mike DePaoli, Fordham's director of basketball operations, who told him that if they had taken anyone, it would have been him.

"That gave me the incentive to try out again this year," Walsh said.

This time, DePaoli called Walsh to tell him he made it as a practice player, which meant he would be on the team, but wouldn't travel or dress for games.

There was one small problem, however. Practice time often conflicted with Walsh's class schedule, so DePaoli told him to wait until the second semester.

But in the meantime, whenever he could, Walsh would go to practice and sit and watch and take notes and absorb the whole atmosphere. That was something that impressed Fordham head coach Tom Pecora.

"You can't start reteaching things in the middle of the season," Pecora said. "By him coming in when he was available, he was able to be prepared and understood what we were doing for when he joined us. That was important."

When the semester ended, Walsh started practicing regularly with the team. Then, in late December, Devon McMillan left the team, opening up a spot on the roster. Pecora gave it to Walsh, and he dressed for the team's Jan. 9 against Duquesne.

"Everything happened so fast," Walsh said. "I was just happy to get the opportunity. It's been a great experience."

Even though he knew it was more than likely he would not get into a game. Walsh's playing time came in practice as a member of the scout team, helping the Rams starters get ready for the next opponent.

That's why those rare occasions when Walsh did get into a game were special. Besides the La Salle game, he also saw action at Xavier on Feb. 13; against Richmond on Feb. 23; and at Saint Joseph's on March 2.

Pecora said when he puts walk-on players into a game, it is to reward them for their efforts. But the situation has to be right.

"I tell them when they go in there, it's not scrub time," Pecora said. "I tell them to go in there and be a basketball player.

"Walk-on is a position we take very seriously here. They're a big part of everything we do. I give them credit. They make tremendous sacrifices knowing there is little chance of playing in a game. They're some of our greatest success stories. They're tough, dedicated and committed to the team. Those are qualities that will carry you later in life."

While Walsh now owns a place on the Fordham bench, he never gave up his other courtside seat. When his schedule permits, he works the women's basketball games with mop in hand.

"My freshman and sophomore years, I also worked soccer games, softball games, volleyball," Walsh said. "It was a way to stay involved in athletics and get to know the faces of the athletes on campus. I enjoy it to much to leave it."

Fordham's season concluded Saturday with a 76-72 win over St. Bonaventure that halted a 10-game losing streak. The Rams were 7-24 overall, 3-13 in the Atlantic 10 Conference and failed to qualify for the league's postseason tournament.

Already looking ahead to next season, Pecora said he'd like to have Walsh back if possible. There have been instances in the past where players have gotten scholarships for their senior year.

"He did a great job for us," the coach said. "He was a good addition."

Contact the writer: swalsh@timesshamrock.com @swalshTT on Twitter

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